Skip to main content

Tag: Anna Maria Island

Evacuation sign

Does anybody care that it’s hurricane season?

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Business, Tourism.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The first of June marked the beginning of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, and if things go as predicted by many weather experts, it should be another very active season.

The beginning of June also saw COVID travel restrictions drop in most of the U.S. just in time for the end of the school year. These factors, along with new flights being added at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) and a general desire for many to finally take a vacation after more than a year of lockdown, have created the perfect recipe for a record-breaking summer season on the Island. 

In years past, the first day of summer unofficially signals the end of the spring snowbird and tourist season on the Island, but that certainly isn’t the case in 2021, and very few of these visitors and potential future visitors seem very concerned about hurricane season.

“We checked the weather before we got on the plane and saw a tropical storm that was likely to become a hurricane, then we noticed there is a good chance of thunderstorms every day we are going to be there,” said Kimberly Rotz, who arrived a day before Hurricane Elsa with her family from suburban Indianapolis, where temperatures had been close to 96 degrees when they got on the plane. “Not the best scenario, but neither is the record heat here at home. At least you guys have an ocean and plenty of pool space to beat the heat.”

Rotz said she and her husband did some research and saw that hurricanes tend to miss the Island historically, and they didn’t feel there was a safety issue for her family based on a close watch of Elsa’s approach.

“We called our resort and asked if the windows and doors were hurricane safe, and also asked if there had been a history of damage to the property during past storms. When the person we spoke to said the property was up to code, and no evacuation order seemed to be coming, we decided to come down and ride it out. It turned out to be pretty tame, so I’m glad we made that decision,” Rotz added. 

The Rotz family aren’t the only ones that don’t seem to be too worried about hurricane season or the summer heat. Island-related social media sites are full of posts and comments from people who are ready to start their vacations. 

“We are coming down July 24 – July 31, and we can’t wait. We’ve been coming to Holmes Beach for seven years, but this will be our first summer trip. We usually come in March or April, but COVID kept that from happening this year,” said Maria Rivera, who will be flying from Hartford, Conn. Rivera, who is originally from Puerto Rico, fell in love with the Island and its beaches after coming with friends in 2014. 

“Growing up in Puerto Rico, we were constantly in the path of hurricanes. In 1998, Hurricane Georges did billions of dollars in damage and we didn’t have electricity for weeks. I’ve lived through serious destruction, and nothing like that has ever happened on Anna Maria Island, so while it’s silly to not be cautious, it seems like the odds are in favor of the Island,” said Rivera, who added that she has no problem with the summer heat, as long as there is someplace air-conditioned to escape to.

Bradenton Beach
Despite a bit of beach erosion from heavy surf, things are back to normal on Bradenton Beach after a visit from Hurricane Elsa. – Jason Schaffer | Sun

Rivera is correct about Anna Maria Island historically being spared the worst during hurricane season. Elsa was expected to be just a few miles offshore, and with the eastern side of a hurricane usually packing the higher wind speeds and more severe rainfall, it looked like it was poised to cause flooding and a high storm surge. Other problems such as power outages and downed trees looked to be a likely scenario as well, but once again, it just didn’t happen. 

Historic hurricane misses

Most recently, Hurricane Irma hit the area in September 2017. The storm was a Category 5 before it hit Cuba, and by the time it made its way to the Island, it had significantly weakened to a Category 2. While still a serious storm that leads to a mandatory evacuation of the Island, serious damage was not nearly what it could have been. The City Pier was damaged and had to be closed for extensive renovation and power outages were widespread, but for the most part, homes and businesses didn’t suffer serious damage.

In 2004, Hurricane Charlie also caused a lot of damage to Florida cities but spared the Bradenton area and the Island with winds that didn’t top 60 mph. 2004 also saw Ivan and Frances, two massive storms that came close but did not significantly impact the Island. 

Despite the Island’s good luck, watches and warnings should always be taken seriously, because the past does not predict the future. At some point the big storm will come; according to meteorologists, it is a virtual certainty. In the meantime, watching out for everyday storm-related dangers like lightning and flooding is always good practice.

Elsa impacts sea turtle, shorebird nests

Elsa impacts sea turtle, shorebird nests

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Birds, Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Tropical Storm Elsa washed over the Island on July 6 and 7, taking some shorebird eggs and chicks with it, and soaking some sea turtle nests in the sand, perhaps for too long.

But Suzi Fox, director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, remains optimistic.

The first sea turtle nest of the season hatched last week, producing 77 hatchlings.

“Water came up over many nests,” she said. “Are we upset about it? No, it’s nature. Many of those nests will still hatch. Turtles and birds have been at this a lot longer than we have.”

Each June or July, a storm hits the Island, but nesting always resumes and sometimes picks up speed, she said.

With the recent beach renourishment, “Manatee County has done everything they could to have the best nesting beach in Florida,” Fox said. “We’re still going to get washovers. That’s why sea turtles nest up to three times a season.”

While about 25% of sea turtle nests on the Island were lost last week, “The girls are continuing to nest,” she said, including a rare green turtle that nested July 9, only the third green turtle so far this nesting season, which began on May 1. The rest of the turtle nests on the Island are loggerhead sea turtles.

Elsa impacts sea turtle, shorebird nests
This sea turtle egg washed up in a canal in Bimini Bay after Tropical Storm Elsa passed over Anna Maria Island. – Cindy Lane | Sun

Among the shorebirds, only least terns are nesting this year – no black skimmers, Fox said.

The storm surge on the Gulf of Mexico beaches inundated the least tern colony, she said. While all 120 bird parents survived, only two of 15 chicks survived.

“Now that the water has receded, the adults are back on new eggs,” she said, adding that five newly-hatched chicks have been documented since the storm.

Volunteers do the counting and nest identification, but numbers of volunteers are down from more than 100 to about 20 due to COVID-19, which caused Fox to decide last year to have a few volunteers use ATVs to monitor nests rather than have dozens walk sections of the beach, risking contact with curious beachgoers.

On an ATV, “They can find 20 nests in one day,” she said. “On a day of walking, they can find maybe one.”

Turtle nesting season ends Oct. 31. Bird nesting season is active through the end of August.

Related coverage

 

Nesting News

 

Bird Tips

 

Turtle Tips

 

Elsa takes it easy on Anna Maria Island

Elsa takes it easy on Anna Maria Island

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Weather.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Tropical Storm/Hurricane Elsa’s impact on Anna Maria Island proved to be minimal.

The storm that passed through Anna Maria Island Tuesday afternoon and evening and into Wednesday morning produced localized flooding but no reports of significant property damage, one reported fallen tree and no reported downed power lines or power outages on the Island.

According to Wunderground.com – an affiliate of The Weather Channel – the highest wind gust recorded at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport weather station during Elsa was 54 mph at 10:53 p.m. Tuesday evening.

Wednesday morning, Anna Maria resident Doug Copeland said he and his wife’s rain gauge indicated 2.8 inches of rain fell during Elsa at their home near the Rod & Reel Pier.

Bradenton Beach

According to Bradenton Beach Public Works Director Tom Woodard and Lt. John Cosby from the Bradenton Beach Police Department, at approximately 11 a.m. Tuesday morning, an unoccupied sailboat on the Cortez side of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) broke free of its mooring and began drifting toward the Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach.

Elsa takes it easy on Anna Maria Island
Officer Eric Hill and members of the Bradenton Beach Public Works Department secured this sailboat that broke loose on the Cortez side of the ICW. – Bradenton Beach Police Department | Submitted

“We were able to go out and get it and get it tied up and secured. They got it under control and out of the way before it caused any problems,” Cosby said, noting that Officer Eric Hill piloted the police boat stationed on the police boat lift adjacent to the pier.

Cosby and Woodard said the pier and the floating dock sustained no damage during the storm. Cosby said it may take a few days to have the sailboat removed.

Elsa takes it easy on Anna Maria Island
The sailboat that broke loose Tuesday morning remained tied to the Bridge Street Pier Wednesday morning. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

A 7 a.m. visit to the pier Wednesday revealed the sailboat was still secured to the pilings at the east end of the floating day dock and none of the 15 or so liveaboard vessels anchored south of the pier had broken free or sunk during the storm. The one sunken vessel currently in the area sank long before Tuesday’s storm.

Elsa takes it easy on Anna Maria Island
The floating dock in Bradenton Beach sustained no storm damage. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

“Everybody did what they needed to do,” Cosby said of the liveaboard boaters.

According to Cosby, Officer Hill contacted many of them by cell phone on Monday and reminded them to secure their vessels with double anchors before the storm arrived.

“It appears everybody did it, because I don’t see any issues,” Cosby said.

Elsa BB Safe Boats
The liveaboard boaters south of the Bridge Street Pier weathered Elsa’s waves and winds. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Cosby and Woodard said they weren’t aware of any property damage or serious flooding issues elsewhere in the city. A tour of the city indicated some localized street and yard flooding, but less than can often be seen during other heavy rain events.

“I don’t believe we had any calls for service or any type of distress calls,” Cosby said.

Cosby said some of the Gulf-side beach areas “took a pretty good hit” in terms of beach erosion.

“That was expected. No big surprise there,” Cosby said of the erosion.

Holmes Beach

A pass-through of Holmes Beach at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday revealed standing water covering the edge of Marina Drive, near city hall and the Island Branch Library, but the travel lanes were not completely submerged. Standing water was also covering portions of some of the adjacent side streets.

Elsa takes it easy on Anna Maria Island
The flooding along Marina Drive in Holmes Beach was limited to the edge of the road by the time the sun came up. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

When contacted later in the day, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said that city fared well during the storm.

“I was out all day and night until 5:30 this morning. We had some flooding by city hall around 3 to 4 a.m. After the rain stopped, the water subsided pretty quickly. We had minor overnight flooding and one tree down in the parking lot of Martinique North. We dodged the bullet,” Tokajer said.

Elsa takes it easy on Anna Maria Island
Standing water covered this portion of 63rd Street in Holmes Beach Wednesday morning. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Anna Maria

At approximately 8 a.m., Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy and Public Works Manager Dean Jones were touring the city and accessing the storm damage.

“So far, we’re looking pretty good. We’ve got some local street flooding in the areas that would normally flood – and it’s not saltwater flooding, it’s rainwater flooding. There’s no trees down. All of our major roads are clear, but there’s some outlying areas and backstreets where we’ve got some issues with flooding. Some of that we’ll be able to pump out and some we won’t,” Murphy said.

Elsa takes it easy on Anna Maria Island
The beach in front of the Sandbar restaurant appears to have suffered erosion during the storm. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

A tour around Anna Maria indicated North Bay Boulevard, near the Bean Point beach access, was among the most flooded areas. The visit to the beach in front of the Sandbar restaurant revealed significant beach erosion had apparently occurred.

Elsa takes it easy on Anna Maria Island
This Anna Maria homeowner’s yard experienced Elsa-related flooding. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

The new Anna Maria City Pier came through the storm unscathed and residents and visitors were going about their business as usual as the sun appeared and the new day got underway, with some intermittent showers throughout the day.

Elsa takes it easy on Anna Maria Island
The new Anna Maria City Pier sustained no storm damage. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

The city’s “Reimagining Pine Avenue” public information meeting scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon was canceled and rescheduled at 2 p.m. on Monday, July 12.

Cortez Beach

A mid-morning trip to Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach revealed several people walking along the beach and few surfers in the water. Red flags were flying on the lifeguard tower and a member of the Manatee County Beach Patrol called a group of young men back to shore who had walked out to the end of one of the groins being battered by the high surf.

Elsa takes it easy on Anna Maria Island
Due to high surf, these young men were asked to vacate a beach groin at Cortez Beach. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Tourism consultant predicts record summer visitations

Tourism consultant predicts record summer visitations

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Business, Tourism.

BRADENTON – As Anna Maria Island continues to see a record-breaking number of visitors this summer, the question continues to be how long will the season last, and why is this year so different than years past? Anne Wittine, from Research Data Services (RDS), addressed the most recent meeting of the Manatee County Tourist Development Council with some data that shows the current trend and projects how long it will continue.

Air travel is a big indicator of how the travel trends related to AMI are progressing. Although not all travelers to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport are coming to Anna Maria Island, it’s acceptable to draw a comparison to arriving flights and the influx of travelers to AMI. While there is normally a drop-off after March, that is not the case this year. Total passengers entering SRQ are up 73.4% over 2020, which makes sense due to COVID-19 restrictions last year. The number that says a lot is the 32% increase from 2019, which was pre-COVID. These are numbers never seen by SRQ. According to Wittine, much of this can be attributed to travelers being vaccinated and more comfortable with travel.

Since January, the Bradenton area has seen a large increase, in out-of-state visitors, far outperforming the same period last year. April was the first month that Florida residents outnumbered out-of-state visitors. According to Wittine, this is expected, and we are seeing more Florida travelers than we normally would.

According to the research, the area has seen a 638% increase in visitors over April of last year, a 357% increase in room nights, and an economic impact that went from $13,038,000 in 2020 to $102,442,900 in 2021. That’s an increase of 686%. Those were COVID numbers last year, but the increase was 31%, 47%, and 26% respectively over 2019, which was pre-COVID. This shows the record-breaking numbers continue to show themselves in just about every category measured.  

“This year is great, but it’s not really typical, so next year is going to present some challenges as we start to get more back to normal,” Wittine said, explaining what appears to be a post-COVID anomaly. “Next year’s April probably won’t look quite like this one did.” 

Looking at where visitors are coming from, the Northeast is the largest source, with an increase of 2,217% from 2020. The Southeast is the next largest source of visitors with a 1,738% increase from 2020. The factor that could make this record-breaking summer even more impressive is that Europe and Canada are still not able to travel to our area. The study showed zero visitors from those locations in April, but with restrictions possibly being lifted soon, it could mean a very large number of European and Canadian visitors coming to AMI.

The RDS study also conducted a “Traveler Sentiment Study” that showed record numbers of potential travelers were 82% optimistic about personal health, 76% were optimistic about personal finance, and 40% of people surveyed who were thinking about traveling have already booked. This, also, is a record number.

The numbers of people who feel comfortable dining in a restaurant, shopping, visiting indoor attractions, and taking domestic flights are also at record post-COVID highs. All of this data shows that travel is a priority for many, and summer is going to continue to be a busy season on the Island. If Europe and Canada loosen restrictions soon, it could be a summer that breaks every record.

Surf campers shred the Gulf

Surf campers shred the Gulf

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Sports, Surfing.

The West Coast Surf Shop Surf Camp in Holmes Beach is underway this month and everyone from toddlers to teens is learning to surf, with the cooperation of the Gulf of Mexico’s gentle waves, courtesy of Tropical Storm Elsa. The campers are known by their surf nicknames.

Shimmer rides it in to the beach.

Shimmer rides it in to the beach.

Panda pumps the wave to gain speed.

Panda pumps the wave to gain speed.

Boogie caught the outside break all morning.

Boogie caught the outside break all morning.

Sweet Pea catches a big wave.

Sweet Pea catches a big wave.

Noserider Nick works on his form.

Noserider Nick works on his form.

Shreddley McGnarley works up to the nose, with former surf camper, now instructor, Ethan Isaac (aka Bear) keeping the balance.

Shreddley McGnarley works up to the nose, with former surf camper, now instructor, Ethan Isaac (aka Bear) keeping the balance.

Baby Killer Whale is up and shredding.

Baby Killer Whale is up and shredding.

Lil’ Cheetah perfects her tube stance.

Lil’ Cheetah perfects her tube stance.

Noserider Nick

Noserider Nick

Letter to the Editor: Third of July Parade?

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Letter to the Editor, Opinion.

This letter is about the action the city commissioners on Anna Maria Island took over the changing of the date of the Fourth of July celebration procession.

Let me start by saying that yes, I am a Privateer, but this letter to the editor is being penned by Specialist 4th Class Timothy Thompson U.S. Army Security Agency 1964-1968. Veteran. It is not about the day of the week. It is not about traffic. It is not about vacation rental check-in/check-out. It’s not about costs. It’s about the Fourth of July to celebrate our country’s Day of Independence –  not the Third or the Fifth. We become independent of British rule on the Fourth of July.

This change was all brought up because the celebration procession interfered with church services. If it were not for Independence Day, nobody would be free to congregate, including worship.

The Fourth only falls on a Sunday once in every seven years. That gives the church 44 of 45 Sundays. They should rejoice and praise God for their freedoms given to them of the sacrifice Americans gave them, including the freedom to worship. If Christmas were to fall on a Sunday, would they ask for it to be celebrated on Saturday the 24th?

The town officials made their decision to rescind and re-date the special event permit based on Rev. Moss’s letter to the cities stating, “… so to protect our country’s long-standing tradition of worship, discipleship, and church fellowship on Sunday mornings and do nothing to distract from it.” But it went beyond just mornings, to having to change the date – there seemed to be no compromise on maybe changing the time. So, it seems that the commissioners have now set the precedent of not issuing any special event permits on Sundays, and rescinding any prior approved permits. If they want to cease and desist the Fourth of July celebration procession, then maybe they should cease and desist everything in their townships: the bars, restaurants, retail. Everything, so as to “do nothing to distract from it.”

So, in closing, let’s call it what it is: The Third of July Parade hosted by the AMI Privateers.
Just a heads up commissioners, Juneteenth falls on Sunday next year. I say this as a proud American and veteran: “Let Freedom Ring.”

Timothy Thompson

Bradenton

Castles in the Sand

Once-in-a-generation housing shortage

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand.

If you thought the national housing market was complicated, you might want to sit down, because there’s more to this story.

On June 16, The National Association of Realtors (NAR) published a disturbing report about the deficit of available housing. That report was researched and authored by the Rosen Consulting Group and indicates an under-building gap of 5.5 to 6.8 million housing units since 2001, spanning everything from single-family homes to rental units. This is considered a once-in-a-generation crisis, but the question is, how did this happen?

The report says that from 2010 to 2020, new home construction fell 6.8 million short of what was needed to replace aging units. Limited supply has been a driver of rising housing prices for both renters and buyers, complicated by an increase in demand during the COVID-19 crisis. New home construction surged in the early 2000s, then building activity slowed during the 2007-09 recession after the financial crisis. The industry never got back up and running to its previous level before the pandemic hit.

The supply shortage became worse during the past year as builders slowed construction in some regions and delayed purchasing land because of the pandemic. All of that, combined with low mortgage interest rates and remote work, has led to unanticipated demand for single-family homes. At this point, the consensus is that it would take a decade to close a gap of 5.5 million units.

The NAR report goes on to say that the lack of new construction and under-investment has led to an acute shortage of available housing that is a detriment to the health of the public and the economy. They say the gap is so enormous that it will require a major national commitment to build more housing of all types and they are attempting to persuade lawmakers to include housing investment in any infrastructure package enacted. This could include removing barriers to new construction and creating incentives for builders and investors to pursue new housing development.

The NAR’s chief economist, Lawrence Yun, says there is a strong desire for homeownership across this country. However, the lack of supply is preventing too many buyers from moving forward, thus requiring dramatic action to close the gap.

May’s Manatee County sales statistics are out as reported by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee, so let’s take a look.

Manatee County single-family homes closed 66.1% higher than last year and cash sales were up 168.9%. The median sale price was $400,000, up 23.1%, which is almost the same as the national increase of 23.6%. The average sale price was $567,549, up 38.8%, the median time to contract was six days, active inventory was down 71.7% and the month’s supply of properties was .06 months.

Condo sales were up 112.7% more than last year and cash sales were up 250%. The median sales price was $243,595, up 5.9%, and the average sale price was $312,244, up 19.4%. The median time to contract was nine days, active inventory was down 78.5% and the month’s supply of properties was .06 months.

Regardless of these surging numbers, the president of the Realtor Association, Alex Krumm, points out that Florida real estate remains on par or less expensive than the markets from which people are moving. This is keeping our market very desirable and active with little change in sight.

A once-in-a-generation crisis sounds extreme and we in Florida may not feel it to the same degree as people in other regions of the country. But for many, it is a disruption of a life-long goal and for others, it is a more serious crisis.

Bali Hai owners receive code fines

Bali Hai owners receive code fines

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – The fight for compliance with city codes is still ongoing between the owners of the Bali Hai Beach Resort and city leaders. Now, the owners of the resort are going to have to pay fines until the issues are resolved.

Two cases against the hotel ownership were heard during a June 11 code compliance special magistrate hearing. One concerned work being done without a permit and the second was the operation of a bar/lounge without an approved site plan.

Though no one appeared on behalf of the owner to argue the case, the attorney for the city, Erica Augello, said she received an email from attorney Louis Najmy during the hearing objecting to Special Magistrate Michael Connolly not granting a continuance to the two cases and objecting to not being able to attend the hearing held at Holmes Beach City Hall by Zoom or teleconference. In his email, Najmy also said he had previously requested discovery by the city, which he had not received.

Connolly said he was not inclined to grant a continuance for the case, while code Officer James Thomas said he’d spoken to Najmy several times in previous weeks about the hearing and issues at the property.

In his case submittal, Thomas said he’s viewed construction work being done on the second level of a small accessory building on the property multiple times without permits since 2020. Previously, Connolly ruled against the property for completing demolition work in the same space without permits. Now, Thomas said that space has been rebuilt and is being occupied as an office without permits and without inspections to make sure the area is safe.

In addition, a bar/lounge is being used on the bottom floor of the same building without an approved site plan in violation of city codes. While the resort’s owners have submitted site plans to the city over the past year, Building Official Neal Schwartz said issues still persist with the site plan submittals. Though one was scheduled to go before city commissioners for approval earlier in 2021, the item was pulled from the commission’s agenda by the applicant to make changes. It has not yet been resubmitted to be scheduled for a public hearing.

In addition to the bar/lounge operating without an approved site plan, Thomas said he’s received numerous complaints from neighbors about noise and other issues related to the bar/lounge use on the property.

During public comment, a neighbor to the Bali Hai, Jeanetta Moss, said that since the new owners took over the property she’s had problems with loud parties, drunk people and people trespassing on neighboring residential properties.

“The Bali Hai has not been a good neighbor since the renovations occurred,” Moss said. “I hope they will be compliant and be the good neighbor it once was.”

In both cases, Connolly ruled against the resort’s ownership, requiring them to pay $127.24 in administrative fees and $500-a-day fines until the resort is in compliance with city codes in each case, resulting in a $1,000-a-day fine for the owners. He also ordered the owners to obtain after-the-fact permits for all work done without a permit, cease all operations of the bar/lounge until the property is brought into compliance and for them to schedule a public hearing for the site plan approval by the end of June with city leaders.

Related coverage

Bali Hai site plan negotiations continue

Bali Hai site plan review hits a snag

Going on a musical journey with Steve Augeri

Going on a musical journey with Steve Augeri

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Entertainment, Music.

ANNA MARIA – Journey’s Steve Augeri came to The Center of Anna Maria Island on June 17 and the crowd went wild for his classic rock hits.

As a part of the Bradenton Gulf Islands Concert Series, former Journey lead vocalist Augeri led his band in a rendition of all of the classic rock band’s hits, from “Separate Ways” to “Lights,” “Wheel in the Sky,” “Faithfully” and “Don’t Stop Believing.” The crowd cheered, danced, and even got on their feet to sing along in front of the stage during “Any Way You Want It.”

The concert, Augeri’s first in 15 months due to COVID-19 closures and live music cancelations, was one of the most engaging performances of this year’s concert series.

Local musician Sara Nelms took the stage before Augeri, warming up the crowd with her beautiful voice while playing acoustic guitar.

Next in the concert series is the final show of the season, The Grass Roots, performing July 2 at The Center, 407 Magnolia Ave. All shows are held outside on The Center’s field rain or shine and attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs for the event. Tickets are available online.

The Bradenton Gulf Islands Concert Series is brought to The Center by the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau along with presenting sponsor The Sandbar Restaurant.

Steve Augeri played all of the hits from “Wheel in the Sky” to “Don’t Stop Believing” June 17 on the field at The Center of Anna Maria Island. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Steve Augeri played all of the hits from “Wheel in the Sky” to “Don’t Stop Believing” June 17 on the field at The Center of Anna Maria Island. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Local musician Sara Nelms warms up the crowd before Steve Augeri and his band take the stage. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Local musician Sara Nelms warms up the crowd before Steve Augeri and his band take the stage. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Steve Augeri and his band get the crowd going with a rendition of the Journey classic “Separate Ways.” - Kristin Swain | Sun

Steve Augeri and his band get the crowd going with a rendition of the Journey classic “Separate Ways.” - Kristin Swain | Sun

Audience members are on their feet and dancing up by the front of the stage during “Any Way You Want It.” - Kristin Swain | Sun

Audience members are on their feet and dancing up by the front of the stage during “Any Way You Want It.” - Kristin Swain | Sun

Related coverage

 

Simon Kirke brings classic rock to The Center’s stage

Castles in the Sand

Where are the downsizers?

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand.

Long ago and far away, homeowners getting ready to retire would sell their family home to younger families looking to move up and purchase a smaller less expensive property. There was also this crazy notion of sales contracts containing a contingency on the buyer selling their home. Well, in case you haven’t noticed, those days are long gone.

The real estate market is so hot that homeowners frequently don’t want to sell because buying another property, even if it’s a smaller one, is too challenging. Retirees don’t want to risk the stress of finding something they’re comfortable living in and certainly don’t want the hassle of competing in the current market. Therefore, they’re not moving, which is feeding into the low inventory rates all over the country, freezing up the market.

Retirees also have plenty of good financing options without selling, should they need to tap into their equity. Refinancing both mortgage amounts and terms at today’s low rates will give them money in their pockets to offset the expenses of continuing to live in their homes. And, of course, reverse mortgages continue to be a viable option for some seniors. In addition, switching from a 30-year amortization to a 15-year amortization would help to accumulate more equity down the road when seniors may be more comfortable selling.

There are plenty of financial opinions on whether retirees should carry a mortgage or not and everyone’s financial position is different and should be analyzed by a professional. With interest rates historically low and the stock market continuing to grow, many financial advisors will be pro-mortgage and advise to invest in the stock market, instead. For retirees with an income that is sufficient to cover the monthly carrying charges of financing, this could be the obvious decision.

There are many benefits to owning a home, whether you decide to continue carrying a mortgage in retirement or pay it off. With the new tax regulations, writing off the interest on a home mortgage is not as advantageous as in previous years, but again, everyone’s situation is different.

What isn’t changing for most homeowners is the capital gains exemption when you sell your home. The way the capital gains law stands now is single tax filers get an exemption of $250,000 of net gain on the sale of a primary home. Married couples filing jointly get an exemption of $500,000 of net gain on the sale of a primary home. This exemption can be used more than once by sellers who meet the requirements as often as every two years.

With the sale prices of homes accelerating daily, there will be plenty of homeowners who will exceed their exemption limits. However, homeowners can increase their cost basis and lower their gain if they make improvements to their homes over the years. This does not mean repairs – it means improvements on landscaping, renovations and extensions to the property. If you’re not sure what qualifies and you need these extra funds to add to your cost basis, you can find exactly what the definition of “improvement” is on the IRS website.

There will probably be a change to the capital gains laws, including primary home capital gains exemptions, coming soon. However, many sellers with gains within the $250,000 to $500,000 limits won’t be affected. Capital gains above those limits will depend on income level and other factors in the proposed tax bill.

Maybe my memory of things past is fuzzy, but wasn’t buying and selling homes more civilized years ago? It was certainly less stressful, but here we are with tons of equity and the worries that go along with it.

Simon Kirke brings classic rock to The Center’s stage

Simon Kirke brings classic rock to The Center’s stage

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Entertainment, Music.

ANNA MARIA – The Center of Anna Maria Island was rocking June 11 as Simon Kirke and The Empty Pockets took the stage for the second show in the Bradenton Gulf Islands Concert Series.

The show was the first show that Kirke of Bad Company and Free fame and the Chicago-based The Empty Pockets had played in more than a year, since the COVID-19 pandemic brought live music to a halt in early 2020.

Captiva Island musician Johnny Jensen kicked off the show, followed by a short set from The Empty Pockets before Kirke joined them on stage.

During the set, Kirke played some of his greatest hits including “Movin’ On,” “Ready for Love,” “Bad Company,” “Shooting Star,” and even a Bob Marley-inspired reggae version of “Feel Like Making Love.” The crowd was already dancing but they really got on their feet and danced during an encore performance of “Alright Now.”

Kirke appeared as a part of the Bradenton Gulf Islands Concert Series brought to Anna Maria Island by the Bradenton Area Convention Center and The Sandbar Restaurant.

The next show on the schedule is Steve Augeri of Journey on June 17 followed by the final performance of the season, The Grass Roots on July 2.

For more information on the concert series or to purchase tickets, visit The Center’s event page.

Bad Company’s Simon Kirke plays a Bob Marley-inspired version of the hit “Feel Like Making Love” with The Empty Pockets during a show at The Center of Anna Maria Island. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Bad Company’s Simon Kirke plays a Bob Marley-inspired version of the hit “Feel Like Making Love” with The Empty Pockets during a show at The Center of Anna Maria Island. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Prior to Simon Kirke taking the stage, The Empty Pockets helped warm up the crowd with a few of their own songs. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Prior to Simon Kirke taking the stage, The Empty Pockets helped warm up the crowd with a few of their own songs. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Simon Kirke entertains the audience with one of his many stories of life on the road. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Simon Kirke entertains the audience with one of his many stories of life on the road. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Simon Kirke takes a moment to slow things down by playing “Maria”, a love song that he wrote for his wife. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Simon Kirke takes a moment to slow things down by playing “Maria”, a love song that he wrote for his wife. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Simon Kirke jams out with Josh Solomon of The Empty Pockets. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Simon Kirke jams out with Josh Solomon of The Empty Pockets. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Rock and roll legend Simon Kirke plays some of his biggest hits with The Empty Pockets as a part of the Bradenton Gulf Islands Concert Series at The Center. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Rock and roll legend Simon Kirke plays some of his biggest hits with The Empty Pockets as a part of the Bradenton Gulf Islands Concert Series at The Center. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Simon Kirke of Bad Company and Free rocks out on the drum kit during a rendition of “Movin’ On” at The Center of Anna Maria Island. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Simon Kirke of Bad Company and Free rocks out on the drum kit during a rendition of “Movin’ On” at The Center of Anna Maria Island. - Kristin Swain | Sun

Related coverage

Rock legend to play The Center

Summer may be different this year

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Business, Tourism.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The first day of summer is almost here. On Monday, June 21, we not only witness the longest day of the year, but what many Island residents consider the end of the busy tourist season.

In years past, the first day of summer has meant less traffic, a decrease in beach crowding, and a general slower pace of life that comes with the end of “season.” Although much of the uncertainty that came with 2020 is beginning to fade away, a new ambivalence may be creating a new normal, at least for the summer of 2021.

“We love the tourists, and know how much money they inject into the local economy during the winter and spring season,” said Sandra Bostic, a resident of Bradenton Beach. “But I have to admit when we see the news remind us it’s the beginning of hurricane season or notice the first day of summer is around the corner, my husband and I look forward to things just slowing down, but I’m not sure that’s going to happen this year.”

Bostic’s predictions are borne out by visitors.

“I can’t wait to get to the Island,” said Jamie Carte, a West Virginia resident who is planning to visit with his wife and two children July 10-17. “I honestly don’t care if there are storms, and I’m not afraid of heat or hurricanes. You guys get hit less than just about anywhere else in Florida or the Gulf coast; seems pretty safe to me. We dealt with some big snow this year, we got our COVID shots and we’re headed to Anna Maria.”

Carte is not alone. Island innkeepers are seeing the number of bookings at resorts and condos being well above anything many have seen for the months of June and July. Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) is reporting a record number of scheduled visitors to come through their gates in the same period of time. Trends suggest the large increase in summer bookings is a combination of vaccinations, visitors not being able to travel for more than 14 months (especially from northeastern states), children being out of school and money saved from not traveling during COVID-19 lockdown.

Another factor that could see the Island have a record summer is the possibility that Canada and Europe could ease travel restrictions very soon. The Canadian government is expected to ease COVID-19 quarantine restrictions in early July.

On June 8, the Biden administration announced it is working with not only Canada, but Mexico, the United Kingdom and the European Union to determine how to lift border restrictions. A timeline for when restrictions will be eased has yet to be established.

If restrictions are eased in July, Canadian and European visitors could keep the busy season going longer than has ever been seen on Anna Maria Island, possibly making 2021 the busiest summer in AMI history.

“I find it amazing that with the threat of red tide, the threat of hurricanes, the sticky heat, and the fact COVID isn’t gone, regardless of how it seems, that this many people want to be here in the summer; it blows my mind,” said Kelly Briscoe, a resident of Holmes Beach. Briscoe plans to spend the summer in Annapolis, Maryland, where she will still be near the water but away from the storms, heat and other aspects of the Gulf coast she deems “unpleasant.”

The general sentiment is very simple: People not only want, but need a vacation after one of the most difficult years of the 21st century.

“We couldn’t take it anymore; the kids were going crazy and even the dog was tired of us being in his space 24 hours a day,” said Iowa resident Bobby Browning, who was visiting with his family in Anna Maria June 5-12. “My wife was laid off for much of 2020, but is back to work now, and I’ve been working remotely from home for more than a year.”

Browning said his family’s visit to the Island has been quite special.

“This has been our best vacation in a long time,” he said. “The weather’s been perfect, the people have been great, and the beach is beyond awesome. The only issue we’ve run into is the restaurants all seem to be understaffed. We’ve had long waits, and waited much longer to get food than expected. I know it’s a nationwide problem, so we just accept it and keep a positive attitude.”

Browning said he could understand why people would book a trip to Anna Maria Island regardless of the “season” or time of year, adding “This place is paradise.”

Treehouse owners consider removal

Treehouse owners consider removal

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Owners of the Angelinos Sea Lodge Lynn Tran and Richard Hazen had a busy week with a court hearing and a special magistrate hearing to attend.

The most dramatic of the two hearings was the June 11 special magistrate hearing in the city of Holmes Beach when Tran broke down in tears defending herself and Hazen, who were accused of renting their four vacation rental units at Angelinos Sea Lodge without valid vacation rental certificates.

Though Tran admitted on the record that they are continuing to rent the units, she said that it’s unfair of the city to lump the resolution of the fight over the couple’s beachfront treehouse in with the business that they’ve been operating for 21 years.

The couple is caught in a Catch-22 because city leaders won’t renew their vacation rental certificates until code issues on the property are resolved. Those issues include paying the fines assessed due to the treehouse, which Tran says they can’t do without their source of income – the money they get from renting the four vacation rental units.

For the first time in the 10 years since its construction, Tran publicly said she and Hazen are considering removing the treehouse just to end the issues between them and city leaders, though she said that isn’t something that can be done overnight. She also added they’re awaiting final verdicts in all three of the pending court cases concerning the treehouse before making a final decision about its removal.

Tran said they’re willing to work with the city to come to a reasonable solution to the problems.

The couple was denied renewal of their vacation rental certificates in late 2020 due to the outstanding code violation on the property, namely the continued existence of the treehouse in its beachfront Australian pine-and-telephone-pole perch and the more than $200,000 in fines accumulated against it. City leaders say the matter of the treehouse needs to be resolved and the fines settled before the VRCs can be renewed to allow the couple to rent the units legally in the city.

Since an after-the-fact permit for the treehouse cannot be given because it doesn’t meet current building codes, city leaders are demanding that the treehouse be removed. One of the three cases concerning the treehouse pending in 12th Judicial Circuit Court is an injunction for the city to forcibly have the treehouse removed. The case does not yet have a court date set for a hearing.

Special Magistrate Michael Connolly recommended Tran, Hazen and city leaders engage in arbitration. Connolly, who said he doesn’t have the jurisdiction to grant renewal of the couple’s VRCs and ruled there is a continuing violation on the property, did not assess a fine in addition to the current $125 per day fine he ordered during an April code compliance hearing.

12th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Charles Sniffen heard the city’s motion to dismiss the third amended complaint lodged by Tran and Hazen on June 9, with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection joining the city’s motion.

In the complaint, Tran and Hazen allege the actions taken against them by the city and FDEP violate their rights as property owners and as people. In her arguments, Tran said the case was filed to stop the forcible removal of the treehouse by the city and the accumulation of daily fines, which have been collecting at $50 per day since a code enforcement hearing in 2015. Tran served as her and Hazen’s counsel during the hearing.

The $50-per-day fine is in addition to the $125-per-day fine assessed by Connolly in response to the couple’s continued renting of the property in violation of the Holmes Beach vacation rental certificate ordinance.

Speaking on behalf of the city, attorney Randy Mora said the city is sympathetic to her serving as their counsel but feels the matter needs to move forward, urging Sniffen to dismiss the case with prejudice so that it cannot be refiled.

Tran said she’s working to write the complaint for herself and her husband and if Sniffen rules that it be amended again, she said she’d like more specific instructions about what needs to be included rather than have him dismiss the complaint altogether. When pleading for relief, she said she’s not sure what relief is possible at this point but hopes that the case will go to trial and she will be permitted to provide discovery materials to the court.

“I can only hope that justice will be rendered,” Tran said.

Though Sniffen said he would provide a ruling on the case by June 11, no ruling had been filed as of press time for The Sun.

Related coverage

 

U.S. Supreme Court refuses to hear treehouse owners’ case

 

More fines added to treehouse owners’ tab with Holmes Beach

 

Treehouse owners get harassing calls

Castles in the Sand

The explosion of the millions

Written by Louise Bolger on . Posted in Business, Castles in the Sand.

As we all know, the real estate market has gone from fundamentally shut down to an unparalleled explosion of demand for housing all over the country, and particularly in Florida. Buyers and real estate professionals are trying to maneuver their way through the maze of historic low inventory and pent-up buyer activity. The result of all this is outsized prices pushing buyers and creating bidding wars.

Recently, buyers have added different strategies to set themselves apart. For instance, cash is king, and if you have it or can borrow it, your offer will put you in the top tier of buyers.

Buyers love non-contingency offers; that means no mortgage as we discussed, but also no home inspection. It’s a good strategy if you’re comfortable with the property, especially if you know something about home construction.

One of the newest strategies out there in this market is an escalation clause in your offer. In order to be competitive, buyers are stipulating that they will top any offer from another buyer up to a certain level. This at least keeps you in the game and gives you an opportunity to improve your offer.

In addition, it’s always important to be flexible, but in this market, it’s essential. Get yourself in a position to change your desired closing date to fit the schedule of the seller as well as accepting any little quirky changes that may come up.

Finally, don’t wait if a new property comes on the market – be prepared to act quickly.

Now let’s look at the million-dollar-and-over market in the three cities on Anna Maria Island and in Cortez. This analysis will cover February, March and April closed sales as reported on the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s website and properties that are currently on the market or pending from realtor.com.

Cortez closed three properties over $1 million; one for $2,250,000, one for $1,215,000 and one for $1,075,000. The last three-month analysis showed two properties over $1 million.

The city of Anna Maria closed 31 properties; one for $4 million, three for $3 million or over, five over $2 million and 22 at $1 million or over. The last analysis showed that Anna Maria closed 41 properties.

The combined cities of Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach closed 58 properties; two over $4 million, two over $3 million, 10 over $2 million and 44 at $1 million or over. Last time, 39 properties were closed.

Available and pending properties as of this writing are, of course, a blowout again, so here we go: Cortez has a property listed at $4,750,000, the highest I have ever seen for a single-family home, and there is land listed for $1,300,000. The new development, Hunters Point, has seven properties listed from $1,300,000 to $785,000, three of them over $1 million. Last time, Cortez had three.

The city of Anna Maria has 46 properties over $1 million; one over $6 million, two over $5 million, two over $4 million, three over $3 million, 14 over $2 million and 24 over $1 million. The lowest-priced available property in the city is $995,000. Last time Anna Maria had 31 properties available.

Finally, the combined cities of Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach had 67 properties listed or pending over $1 million; one over $6 million, two over $5 million, two over $4 million, six over $3 million, 20 over $2 million and 36 over $1 million.

I’ve decided that after 15 months of ending my column with “stay safe,” it’s time to put this phrase to bed. Not that we still shouldn’t protect ourselves and our family from COVID-19, I just feel it’s time to be more positive. Besides, we now have a new “stay safe” to contend with –  hurricanes. Here’s hoping we have a safe season.

Rock legend to play The Center

Rock legend to play The Center

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Archives.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The Center of Anna Maria Island is going to rock this Friday night as legendary musician Simon Kirke takes the stage with Chicago-based band The Empty Pockets.

Kirke, one of the founding members of rock bands Bad Company and Free, will headline the show June 11 as a part of the Bradenton Gulf Islands Concert Series presented by the Bradenton Area Convention Center and Visitors Bureau along with The Sandbar Restaurant.

The show will be the first one Kirke’s played since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down entertainment venues and concert tours in early 2020. And after nearly 15 months without a live show, the rock icon said he’s looking forward to getting back on the stage and playing some of his best-known hits from his solo career, Bad Company and Free. Some of those hits include “Alright Now” from Free, “Bad Company,” “Ready for Love,” “Shooting Star” and “Feel Like Making Love” from Bad Company. And with the crowd singing along to his songs, Kirke said hearing and playing the hits still gives him a thrill, inspiring him to keep performing for audiences.

During the show, Kirke won’t just be rocking the stage from his drum kit, the multi-talented musician said he’ll also be singing during the set, which he said brings back memories of his years performing with Ringo Starr & His All-Star Band. In addition to the drums, Kirke also plays guitar and keyboard.

The show at The Center will be Kirke’s first trip to Anna Maria Island, something he says he’s excited about.

“I’m very much looking forward to coming down there,” he said in a June 4 talk with The Sun.

Kirke’s been in the music industry for about 50 years. After making a deal with his parents to either find a gig as a drummer with a band or go to college, Kirke said the decision nearly came down to his two-year deadline before he found a place playing with the Black Cat Bones. And it’s all been uphill from there, though if he had lost the wager with his parents and gone to university, Kirke said he thinks he would have pursued photojournalism.

“I’ve had a lot of good breaks in my life,” he said, “but I’m of the opinion that somewhere along the way you make your own luck and I think that’s what happened to me. I’ve been very lucky to go from Free in 1973 to go to Bad Company.”

Kirke has been a member of Bad Company since its formation in 1974.

Of the upcoming show at The Center, Kirke said he’s very much anticipating the June 11 concert and getting back in the groove of performing live.

“I’m really looking forward to reuniting with The Empty Pockets,” he said. “They’re so diverse. They have an amazing songbook. They’re all wonderful instrumentalists.”

“Also performing. I love performing,” Kirke added.

Doors open at 6 p.m. with the music beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are available for $60-75 each online. The concert will take place on the field at The Center, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria, rain or shine. Make sure to bring your own lawn chair and a face mask to use when not able to social distance. No outside drinks will be permitted though The Sandbar will have a cash bar onsite. Street parking and complimentary valet parking are available.